Motivation Monday

Oh no, not the Monday blues! Forget the moping and start your week off with a healthy kick. Here is your weekly dose of inspiration to jump start your Monday.

This Week’s Work-Out Move: the oblique twist. The best part about this move is that you can crank it out wherever you are—from the kitchen to the park. Sit down on the ground and rock back on your tailbone so that your back is at a 45 degree angle from the floor. Keep your knees together, and raise your feet off the floor, keeping the knees bent at 90 degrees. Then, clasp your hands together, and twist the entire torso to the right, hold for a second, and exhale. Finally, come back to the center, and inhale. Repeat this on the left side for one repetition. Do three sets of 25 repetitions if you aren’t using weights. If you decide to pick up a book or a heavy toy to use as weight, keep it to about three sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Healthy Snack of the Week: cinnamon and nutmeg dusted popcorn. This is a simple snack when you’re on the run or too busy to make something elaborate. Microwave some popcorn, measure the correct serving size, and place in a Ziploc bag. Then, sprinkle it with cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg, close the bag, and shake it to cover the pieces in the seasoning. Designate your kids as the “shakers” so they can help you with snack preparation. Plus, popcorn is full of fiber, and cinnamon has been shown to decrease insulin spikes.